Release Date:
Thursday, May 15, 2003
A lot of people are expecting a lot of great things from The Matrix: Reloadedthe kinds of great things many other predecessors have tried (and failed) to deliver. But theres no way this movie was going to suck; Warner, the Wachowskis, and $150-plus million would see to that. Still, there were moments when we feared for humanityand not just the one on-screen.
As we pick up, Neo (Keanu Reeves) is still feeling his way around Earth, the Matrix, and girlfriend-in-arms Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) while enjoying his new role as savior across the last remaining human city, Zion. After some protracted, self-indulgent special effects (way, waaaay underground raves from the future, anyone?), Neo finally heads back into the Matrix to front humanitys war against the machines. But drawn-out dialogue and dulling dance parties dont make for good movies about matrices. And the films half-hour opening orgy of cultural masturbationculminating in a speech by Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) channeling Cyrus from The Warriorsbelongs more in an Ewok village than a city two and a half miles beneath postapocalyptic Earth.
Thankfully, the Wachowskis lose the Lucas goggles, and the sentimental slop gets a well-needed breather in favor of the kind of highly stylized, mind-charring action that has made Reloaded the most anticipated movie of the summer. Setting the standard for the rest of the films overstimulating man-versus-computer melees is an extended chase-battle sequence between our three heroes and the natty-headed twins (Adrian and Neil Rayment) on 1.6 miles of highway built just for the scene. Meanwhile, the formally dressedand thoroughly pissedAgent Smith (Hugo Weaving) is back, in scores, with his own plans for those obnoxiously flawed humans. Thrown in is some welcome eye candy (Monica Bellucci and Jada Pinkett Smith both sport limited roles but tight wardrobes) and a minimum of in-jokes (only one embarrassing spoon reference). In all, Reloaded should give you everything youve waited four years forjust unplug your head through the schmaltz.
As we pick up, Neo (Keanu Reeves) is still feeling his way around Earth, the Matrix, and girlfriend-in-arms Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) while enjoying his new role as savior across the last remaining human city, Zion. After some protracted, self-indulgent special effects (way, waaaay underground raves from the future, anyone?), Neo finally heads back into the Matrix to front humanitys war against the machines. But drawn-out dialogue and dulling dance parties dont make for good movies about matrices. And the films half-hour opening orgy of cultural masturbationculminating in a speech by Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) channeling Cyrus from The Warriorsbelongs more in an Ewok village than a city two and a half miles beneath postapocalyptic Earth.
Thankfully, the Wachowskis lose the Lucas goggles, and the sentimental slop gets a well-needed breather in favor of the kind of highly stylized, mind-charring action that has made Reloaded the most anticipated movie of the summer. Setting the standard for the rest of the films overstimulating man-versus-computer melees is an extended chase-battle sequence between our three heroes and the natty-headed twins (Adrian and Neil Rayment) on 1.6 miles of highway built just for the scene. Meanwhile, the formally dressedand thoroughly pissedAgent Smith (Hugo Weaving) is back, in scores, with his own plans for those obnoxiously flawed humans. Thrown in is some welcome eye candy (Monica Bellucci and Jada Pinkett Smith both sport limited roles but tight wardrobes) and a minimum of in-jokes (only one embarrassing spoon reference). In all, Reloaded should give you everything youve waited four years forjust unplug your head through the schmaltz.